The Jockey Pathway

The Jockey Pathway career support & transition service will be delivered by Fran O'Reilly of Amaze.ie. Fran is a Development of Potential Expert and Head Coach at Amaze Limited, a limited Irish company who specialise in the development of potential within business leaders, sales professionals, executives and teams, elite sportspeople and professional musicians.

Fran will be available to work with Jockeys who may be experiencing difficulties and/or lacking motivation in their current role due to a lack of opportunities, those who may be nearing the end of their career in the saddle and are starting to plan for a career transition and those who are unable to ride due to injury.

If you are interested in availing of career support and transition services please send an email through to [email protected] or call 085 710 6984

Wayne Middleton is the pathway strength and conditioning coach. Wayne delivers weekly group sessions which include the following:

• Initial functional movement screen and assessment to evaluate any injury or movement deficiency.
• Testing of physical strength and fitness.
• Weekly detailed strength and conditioning programme to include work to be carried out in the jockeys own time, with an emphasis on safe and high quality movement and technique.
• Regular assessment to monitor progress, or lack of.
• Receive regular jockey feedback to help improve the delivery of the programme
• Individual one to one sessions can also be arranged if necessary.

Wayne will liaise with the physiotherapist as part of the injury prevention and rehab protocols; he will also be in contact with the dietitian, Gillian O’Loughlin, to ensure any weight control issues are addressed. To schedule an appointment please email [email protected] or call 045 455488.

The pathway dietitian is Gillian O’Loughlin, the leading expert in nutrition for jockeys in Ireland, carrying out research in the health and performance of jockey’s since 2003. She will be familiar to many of you as she has been working with jockeys of all levels from pony racers to professional jockeys.
Her role is to give support to jockeys providing tailored dietary advice to enhance their health and performance, assist them to make weight the healthy way, increase muscle mass and decrease body fat to enhance riding performance or to aid in the recovery process from injury.
 
The initial consultation will include;
• Measurement of weight and height
• Body fat testing
• Hydration testing
• Assessment of current dietary practices
• Individually tailored meal plan – based on foods liked by the jockey.

The jockey will be encouraged to attend follow up sessions to monitor their progress and to keep a food diary which will be analysed to provide more detail on their nutrient intake. 

Once a month there will be a talk on various nutritional topics e.g. nutrition to improve performance, what to eat before and after racing, how to lose those final few lbs before racing, diet to improve bone health in jockeys, what to eat when injured , practical tips on making weight the healthy way, how to shop on a budget, shopping tours and much more!

Gillian will be available every Wednesday evening from 6:00pm to 9:00pm, to schedule an appointment with Gillian please text 087 4128798.

The pathways sports psychologist will be Dr Ciara Losty. Dr Losty has worked extensively at the highest levels of elite sport (Olympic level). The goal of any interactions that Dr Losty will have with Jockeys is to ensure that ultimately, a jockey can consistently demonstrate the psychological skills necessary for optimum performance. There are many ways sport psychology can help jockeys including, but not limited, to the following:

• Enhance performance
• Cope with the pressures of racing
• Recover from injuries
• Increase motivation 
• Promote healthy self-esteem 
• Education in key mental health issues

Dr Losty will be available every second Thursday, starting on the 21st of September, from 5:00pm to 9:00pm. To schedule an appointment please email [email protected] or call 045 455488.

John Butler from the John Butler Sports Injury Clinic delivers an on-course physiotherapy service, John can be contacted at the office on 091 767473 or on mobile at 086 3015043. The updated on-course schedule will be posted here as soon as it is available. The services delivered will include the following:

• Comprehensive assessment & diagnosis of new injuries/complaints
• Physiotherapy treatment as required (manual techniques, dry needling, ultrasound, taping, soft tissue techniques)
• Education on injury prevention and management
• Assessment for muscle imbalances/strength deficits and injury predictors
• Review referrals from on-track service provider for a more comprehensive assessment.
• Development & implementation of rehabilitation programmes
• Development of injury prevention programmes in conjunction with the S&C coach.